Tom Cruise

The biggest star in the world for decades, Tom Cruise stood atop the Hollywood pecking order thanks to his charisma, movie star looks, and consistent box office success. Beginning with "Risky Business...
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Tom Cruise, David Beckham and director Guy Richie have taken a shocking 'selfie' photograph at the top of a London landmark 28 feet (nine metres) in the air.
The trio clamoured to the top of the Wellington Arch to take a smiling cell phone self-portrait high above street as Beckham launched a pop-up bar at the monument in the U.K. capital to promote his partnership with Haig Club whiskey.
The snap has sparked fears impressionable fans could attempt to mirror the risky move.
Last year (14), One Direction star Liam Payne was forced to apologise after he took a similarly high-risk picture on the edge of a 34th floor balcony. Payne was blasted for the photo as parents feared youngsters might take copycat pictures.

The Matrix is one of the most iconic movies released in the past 20 years. We may think we know everything there is to know about the sci-fi classic, but, like Neo, we haven't even begun to learn all there is to know. Below are 21 facts you probably never knew about the movie:
1. The Wachowskis risked the film's entire budget just to make it the way they wanted.
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The original budget that the Wachowskis pitched Warner Bros. was over $80 million. Warner gave them $10 million, so they used all of it on the opening sequence with Trinity. The opening scene impressed executives at Warner so much when they showed it, they green-lit the original budget.
2. The film differentiates the Matrix and the real world through color.
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The scenes that take place within the Matrix are tinted green; those that happen in the real world have more of a normal coloring. The fight scene between Neo and Morpheus has a yellow tint, since it takes place in neither.
3. Keanu actually climbed out the window without a stuntman.
During the phone conversation between Neo and Morpheus within the MetaCortex offices, Morpheus instructs Neo to go through the window. Keanu did this himself without the aid of a stunt double, 34 stories in the air.
4. The helicopter scene almost caused the film to be shut down.
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They flew the chopper through restricted airspace in Sydney, Australia. Laws in New South Wales had to be changed in order to let The Matrix proceed with filming.
5. Which might explain why the Morpheus' rescue took six months to prepare and plan.
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6. The Wachowskis worked on their vision for the movie for five and a half years.
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The final product, arrived after working through 14 screenplay drafts, took up 500 storyboards.
7. Morpheus, in Greek mythology, is the god of dreams.
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Which is ironic, since he's the man who wakes people from their dream states and introduces them to reality.
8. Keanu Reeves only has 80 lines in the first 45 minutes of the film.
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Of those 80 lines, 44 are questions. That's over his half his dialogue, and it amounts to about one question per minute.
9. All of the color blue was removed from the exterior shots.
The idea behind this was that it would make the outside world of the Matrix seem more grim.
10. Jean Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation was required reading for all principal cast and crew.
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The book, which is about hyperreality and the imitation of real-world processes, can be found in Neo's apartment as well. It, along with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Karl Marx, Franz Kafka, and Homer's Odyssey, were all hugely influential on the film.
11. Will Smith was approached to play Neo.
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"Welcome to the real Will." He turned it down to star in Wild Wild West instead. Good choice? Maybe not, but Smith has since admitted that it was for the best because he didn't actually understand the script at the time.
12. Other actors considered to play Neo were Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
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Thankfully, Keanu won out. He's really the only Neo we can imagine. #canttouchthis
13. "Neo" is an anagram for "one."
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Which is fitting, really, since Neo is the One.
14. The opening sequence took six months of training to prepare for and four days to shoot.
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15. Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity) twisted her ankle during filming, but kept it a secret.
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She was afraid that if she told someone, they would re-cast her, so she kept it hidden.
16. The glyphs on the screens consist of reversed letters, numbers, and Japanese katakana characters.
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17. Given Neo's choice, the Wachowskis have both said they would choose the blue pill.
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18. Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson were both considered for the role of Morpheus.
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19. The film's legacy began to show within 3 years of its release.
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By mid-2002, the Bullet Time sequence had been parodied in over 20 films.
20. When Carrie-Anne Moss saw the first cut, it was the first time she'd ever seen herself in a movie.
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21. Richard Walker, founder of sunglass company Blinde, competed against Ray-Ban and Arnette to design the glasses for the movie.
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He personally designed custom sunglasses for each character based simply on their unique names in order to get the job. Once he got it, Walker was flown into Sydney to make custom glasses for the duration of filming.

Production on Tom Cruise's latest Mission: Impossible sequel has been temporarily shut down to allow director Christopher Mcquarrie time to tweak the ending, just five months before the film's scheduled release. The actor has been shooting the action-packed movie in Europe in recent months, but filming recently ground to a halt after movie bosses at Paramount Pictures decided the finale was unsatisfactory.
Cruise is now helping McQuarrie and a writer pal rework the final scenes to give Mission: Impossible 5 a better ending, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
A studio insider says, "Chris, Tom and a third person wanted to take a minute to get from what they thought was a good place to a more perfect place."
Mission: Impossible 5 is still expected to hit movie theatres at the end of July (15), as planned, after having its release moved up from Christmas Day (25Dec15).
It's not the first time Paramount executives have chosen to change the ending of a film at late notice - director Marc Forster had to scramble to reshoot the final third of Brad Pitt's World War Z zombie movie in 2013 after test audiences reacted negatively to its original conclusion. It eventually became a box office hit.

Tom Cruise took time out of filming the latest Mission: Impossible installment in London to have dinner with his former girlfriend Penelope Cruz on Wednesday night (11Feb15). The pair dined at Scott's Restaurant in the Mayfair district with actress Salma Hayek. Cruise and Cruz dated for three years until 2004.

Charlie Chan actor Layne Tom, Jr. has died, aged 87. Tom, Jr. passed away on 14 January (15) at his home in Huntington Beach, California, his family has confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
He is known as being the only actor to play three different sons of the fictional Chinese-American detective, and the only one to work alongside both Charlie Chan stars, Warner Oland and Sydney Toler.
Tom, Jr. first starred as Charlie Chan, Jr. in Charlie Chan at the Olympics in 1937, Tommy Chan in 1938's Charlie Chan in Honolulu, and Willie Chan, Chan's number seven son in 1940's Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise.
He later filmed two documentaries about the popular franchise, Charlie Chan: Layne Tom, Jr: The Adventures of Charlie Chan, Jr. and Legacy of Charlie Chan in 2006.
Tom, Jr. also appeared in Oscar-winning films such as The Good Earth, The Hurricane and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
He also appeared on the small screen in Adventures in Paradise, Hawaiian Eye and The Barbara Stanwyck Show.
Tom, Jr. served in the U.S. Navy and was also a revered architect, designing banks, fire stations, courthouses, libraries and shopping centres in Los Angeles.

What is the craziest thing you ever done for you job? Chances are it has nothing on what these 10 actors did. Acting really attracts people that will go the extra mile to fit whatever role they take on.
1. Jamie Dornan
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This handsome actor had an on-set dominatrix to help coach him during the S&amp;M scenes for Fifty Shades of Grey.
2. Tom Cruise
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The action star got into a disguise and delivered mail to prepare to play an assassin in Collateral.
3. Adrien Brody
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This Academy Award winner lost 30 lbs to physically look like he was going through the Holocaust for The Pianist. He also got rid of all of his worldly possessions (phone, Porsche) and even dumped his girlfriend to be able to relate to his character's loss of everything.
4. Halle Berry
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The beautiful actress didn't shower for a month to get in the mind set of what it's like to be a crack addict for Jungle Fever. She also visited a crack den with a police officer.
5. Robert De Niro
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Talk about dedication! De Niro paid a dentist to grind and stain his teeth to look more like a psychopathic rapist for Cape Fear.
6. Nicholas Cage
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Cage is another actor who went to a dentist for a role, but he had two teeth removed without anesthesia to have believable war injuries for Birdy.
7. Rooney Mara
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The actress got a make over for her edgy role in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but other than a new hair cut she got her nipple pierced and bleached her eyebrows for the role.
8. Daniel Day-Lewis
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The method actor made headlines for being dedicated to his role for Lincoln by doing things like practicing to have a higher-pitched voice. Once he got a hang of the voice he never stopped using it even between takes. He would also stay in character when texting by signing off as "A."
9. Meryl Streep
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The Academy Award winner also worked on linguistics for an Academy Award winning role. She learned how to speak German fluently and with a polish accent for her role in Sophie's Choice.
10. Joaquin Phoenix
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This actor played a version of himself for a mockumentary, I'm Still Here where he leaves acting to become rapper. Part of his role included a very interesting appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Would you do any of these crazy things for a role? Tweet us your answers to the Twitter handles below!
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BBC bosses have received around 300 complaints from TV viewers over quips made by Stephen Fry while hosting the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards on Sunday (08Feb15). Several outraged viewers filed responses with network bosses about remarks Fry made during his 10th time hosting the ceremony, including the introduction "Tom f**king Cruise", the use of the word "p**sing", and an attempt to replicate the computerised voice of Professor Stephen Hawking.
A spokesman for the BBC defended Fry, writing that his "irreverence and style is extremely well-known to viewers", and added, "Any strong language was used after the watershed, and there was a presentation announcement at the start of the programme warning viewers that the broadcast would contain language of this nature. We accept some viewers disagreed with this approach, and this feedback has been noted."
Fry has also defended himself on Twitter.com, writing, "My main aim on Sunday was not to upset Prof (Professor) Hawking who is adult, smart & has a sense of humour, but (newspaper) readers who lack all that."

Movie and TV crews have been banned from filming on the streets of Paris, France amid fears high-octane action sequences could be mistaken for terrorist attacks. French authorities have imposed the restriction following the massacre of journalists and cartoonists at the headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in the capital last month (Jan15).
The shooting, which killed 12, was followed by several other attacks, and officials have now stepped up security in the city, banning movie and TV crews from filming in Paris.
The use of fake weapons and pyrotechnic effects is now prohibited, and actors are forbidden from taking to the streets in costumes such as police or military uniforms.
The decision was made in a bid to prevent movie chase sequences and action stunts from sparking a panic among members of the public.
Paris is a popular location for filmmakers and has been featured in action blockbusters such as Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow and Matt Damon's Bourne films, and it was recently the setting for Scarlett Johansson's Lucy, in which the actress was seen in car chases and shootouts around the French capital.

The owners of London celebrity hotspot The Ivy are selling off the restaurant's fixtures and fittings for charity as the venue undergoes a major revamp. Tables, chairs and even the front door are being auctioned off for good causes. The eaterie has hosted stars including the Beckhams, Tom Cruise, Diana, Princess of Wales, over the years.

The release date for Tom Cruise's latest Mission: Impossible instalment has been moved up five months from Christmas Day (25Dec15) to 31 July (15). Mission: Impossible 5 will now face off against the remake of another action thriller, Point Break, which was originally released in 1991.

Starred in Sydney Pollack's "The Firm" along with Gene Hackman and Ed Harris; based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham

Summary

The biggest star in the world for decades, Tom Cruise stood atop the Hollywood pecking order thanks to his charisma, movie star looks, and consistent box office success. Beginning with "Risky Business" (1983), he became the industry's biggest draw in the wake of the blockbuster "Top Gun" (1986). Following a compelling turn opposite Paul Newman in "The Color of Money" (1986), Cruise continued to knock it out of the park with "Rain Man" (1988) and "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989). Equally compelling was his string of marriages, starting with Mimi Rogers and followed by Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes. It was his marriage to Kidman that would dominate tabloids for the next 10 years, making theirs one of the more celebrated unions in Hollywood. During that heady time, Cruise reigned supreme with hits like "The Firm" (1993), "Jerry Maguire" (1996) and "Mission: Impossible" (1996). He had further critical success with a supporting turn in "Magnolia" (1999). Following his split from Kidman, Cruise's career seemed to hit a precarious slide. He did have hits with "Minority Report" (2002) and "Collateral" (2004), but the cracks began to show in 2005 when he was criticized for his promotion of Scientology and his couch-jumping histrionics over then-girlfriend Holmes who became his third wife in 2006. Never one to back down, Cruise maintained his star status with "Mission: Impossible" sequels, a hilarious role in "Tropic Thunder" (2008) and the hard-hitting action movie "Jack Reacher" (2012) - all of which proved he was truly made of durable stuff.

Born Jan. 17, 1995; Adopted by Cruise and Nicole Kidman in February 1995

Suri Cruise

Daughter

Born April 18, 2006; mother, Katie Holmes

Thomas Cruise Mapother

Father

Worked with the Canadian Army; Divorced Cruise's mother in 1974; Cruise told Parade Magazine his father was "a bully" and "a merchant of chaos"; Cruise reconciled with his father before his death from cancer in 1984

Co-starred in "Risky Business" (1983); Couple lived together for 2 and a half years

Lee Anne DeVette

Sister

Born c. 1959; Worked in publicity and marketing for Cruise's company; Took over as Cruise's publicist in 1994; Dropped as Cruise's publicist in 2005 in order to oversee the day-to-day operations of her brother's philanthropic activities

Began dating April 2005; Cruise proposed to Holmes June 17, 2005 atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; Married Nov. 18, 2006 in a 15th-century castle outside of Rome in Bracciano, Italy; a statement was released, saying the couple had "officialized their marriage in Los Angeles prior to their departure for Italy"; Holmes filed for divorce June 28, 2012, citing irreconcilable differences and asking for sole legal custody and "primary residential custody" of the couple's daughter Suri ; After only a few days of negotiations, couple agreed to all the details in their divorce settlement on July 9, 2012
; Divorce finalized Aug. 20, 2012

Met while filming "Days of Thunder" (1990); Married Dec. 24, 1990 in Telluride, CO; Separated when Kidman was three months pregnant, just before their tenth wedding anniversary; she later miscarried; announced separation in February 2001; Cruise filed for divorce Feb. 7, 2001; Divorce finalized Aug. 8, 2001; Co-starred in "Far and Away" (1992) and "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999)

Isabella Kidman Cruise

Daughter

Born Dec. 22, 1992; Adopted by Cruise and Nicole Kidman in January 1993

Education

Cruise began practicing Scientology while married to Mimi Rogers (1987-90), whose father was one of its founders.

He received an American Cinema Award for "distinguished achievement in film" in 1991.

"Tom Cruise has a star named for him in the Hercules constellation, thanks to wife Nicole Kidman, who paid $40 to International Star Registry for the honor." – from the Daily News, Jan. 6, 1993

"Cruise is very good. Consider that pack of novices in Francis Coppola's "The Outsiders" (1983). Cruise was not much noticed then among Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and C. Thomas Howell (this team is a great tribute to the foresight of Coppola and his casting wizard Fred Roos). But he has gone on to so much richer and more coherent a career and so little wish to impose himself or his attitude upon his pictures. Cruise is one of the first young actors who seems unaffected by the impact of Brando or Clift, and much more inspired by the example of a Gable or a Grant. He wants to work." – from David Thomson's "A Biographical Dictionary of Film" in New York: Alfred A Knopf, 1994

In 1994, he was named Man of the Year by Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

In 1996, Cruise came to the rescue of people on three different occasions. March saw him take a Brazilian woman felled by a speeding car to the hospital and pay her $7000 bill when he found out she was without health insurance. Four months later, he spotted two young boys being crushed by surging crowds at the London premiere of "Mission: Impossible" and pulled them to safety, and then four weeks after that while yachting, he rescued five people when a nearby sail boat caught fire.

"His acting was so good it was almost bizarre. You'd look into his eyes and he'd really be there, he'd really be in love with you. You could see his heart and soul. And then the director would yell 'Cut,' Tom would leave the set, and you'd have to go into therapy for six months." – Renee Zellweger on working with Cruise in "Jerry Maguire" (1996) quoted in Entertainment Weekly, Dec. 20, 1996

In 1998, Cruise and Kidman accepted substantial libel damages from Express newspapers over allegations that their marriage was a "hypocritical sham." The couple then donated the money to charity.

"We knew from the beginning the level of commitment needed. We felt honored to work with [Stanley Kubrick]. We were going to do what it took to do this picture, whatever time, because I felt, and Nic [Nicole Kidman] did too, that this was going to be a really special time for us. We knew it would be difficult. But I would have absolutely kicked myself if I hadn't done this." – Cruise about his decision to do "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999) quoted in Time magazine, July 5, 1999

On May 2, 2001, Cruise filed a $100 million lawsuit against porn actor Kyle Bradford (aka Chad Slater) charging that Bradford/Slater had issued a false story claiming that he and Cruise had engaged in a homosexual relationship.

In June 2001, Cruise filed a second $100 million lawsuit, this time charging defamation against Michael Davis, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur who allegedly offered to sell a videotapes which he claimed showed Cruise engaging in homosexual activity.

In February 2002, Cruise had clear braces put on his famous smile after his child's orthodontist expressed concern about his overbite.

Cruise was active in the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project (H.E.L.P.), an organization which gave free tutoring to children and adults and used "study technology," a method developed by L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise said it was this method which helped him overcome his own learning problems.

"It's well known that I'm a Scientologist, and that has helped me to find that inner peace in my life. [It’s] something that has given me great stability and tools that I use, and it's also something that's enabled me to help others in a way that I've always wanted to, something substantial." – Cruise quoted in Cinema Confidential, Dec. 4, 2003

April 2004, An organization co-founded by Cruise raised $1.2 million to expand a treatment program for rescue workers exposed to potentially hazardous materials after the collapse of the World Trade Center. The project's program was developed by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise was a member.

"You can’t go through life always walking on the sidewalk," Cruise says, explaining why he was drawn to this role. "You’ve got to cross the street. I’m always asking myself, How far can I go? For me, that’s what life is about. I’m going to continue taking risks because it’s not about being bankable at the box office. I can’t control that. I just have to be consistent and true to myself." – Cruise to Los Angeles Confidential, Summer 2004

"We laugh hysterically. My mom, my sisters, we piss ourselves with laughter. You know, even now, sometimes we go from country to country, and I'll be there with Lee Anne, and I'm getting on my airplane. And it's just that look of 'Can you f*ck*ng believe this? I don't think I will ever not be giddy about that. It may sound funny but, there's just an appreciation. A true damn appreciation for it." – Cruise on his megastar status to GQ magazine, December 2004

"I think it's important in life to celebrate these things. You know, I'm just happy. I can't contain myself. And I'm not going to try. I refuse." – Cruise on publicly professing his love for Katie Holmes, Entertainment Weekly, June 17, 2005

"He was a bully and a coward," the 43-year-old actor says of his father, Thomas Cruise Mapother III. "He was the kind of person where, if something goes wrong, they kick you. It was a great lesson in my life, how he'd lull you in, make you feel safe and then, bang!" – Cruise quoted to Parade magazine, April 2006

"Now I'll put Suri on a swing and tell her stories when I'm working on a script. I'll start with the beginning of the movie and take her through the story beat by beat. Of course I make it age-appropriate. She's four years old. But she asks all the right questions: 'Why does that happen? Those are the bad guys? You're the good guy, right?'" – Cruise on spending time with his daughter Suri, quoted in Esquire, June/July 2010